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"id": 248622,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. M'Mukindia",
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"speaker": {
"id": 271,
"legal_name": "Kirugi Joseph Laiboni M'Mukindia",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Motion. As hon. Wamwere has said, the institutions that we have set up in this country, do not seem to be effective. We, in Parliament, must stand up to be counted against this evil of corruption. There are so many national institutions that have progressively in the last 30 years collapsed, not because they could not function properly, but because they were \"killed\" by corruption. A lot of our people have been impoverished. Many have lost jobs. The economy has suffered simply because we allowed corruption to get into the roots of our society. I am aware that there are many anti-corruption institutions which have been set up to fight corruption under the Executive arm of the Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are disappointed that up to this point in time, those institutions do not seem to be very effective. We are disappointed, as has been said by other contributors to this Motion, because we have not seen any action being taken against corruption. Recently, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs said that we have a problem in fighting corruption. She had admitted that. Therefore, if the Minister has admitted that, we in Parliament, as the representatives of wananchi, must come out strongly to create a specific watch dog committee or a select committee to ensure that these institutions under the Executive actually perform their duties. The moment the Executive is over-seeing itself in this respect, that is not enough. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, corruption is a cancer. It is such a terrible thing in society. If Parliament wants this country to be secure; if it stands for wananchi, if it cares about the political stability and economic development of this country, it has no other way than to stand up and be counted against that evil. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we can mention so many institutions that were there in the past. Look at the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) which used to serve farmers! It \"died\"! Look at the Kenya National Assurance Company (KNAC) which catered for the insurance needs of wananchi ! It \"died\"! People have suffered! Look at so many banks where wananchi have lost their deposits! We allowed that and impoverished our people! We have brought down economic development because we have allowed corruption to take root in our country! We must stand up and say: \"No! No more!\" Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank Mr. G.G. Kariuki for bringing this Motion to highlight corruption. How can we be sure that this country is secure, when drug cartels are slowly creeping into our society? There is no way we can control those drug cartels, which are targeting our youth. If the youth die, where is Kenya? Kenya will be dead! How are we going to control the problem of drugs? It cannot be controlled because corruption has permeated the very institutions that are supposed to stop it. To me, the issue of drugs is the most dangerous thing facing our society. If we do not stand up and stop corruption, drugs are going to destroy Kenya and Africa. We are not different from South America. We will end up having a major civil war in this country. The issue of corruption is not a simple thing. It is very dangerous! It actually undermines 1038 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES May 31, 2006 the institution of the State. If we do not stand up now as Parliament, then we do not care what happens tomorrow. If our youths become drug addicts in schools, what will happen to this country in future? If our police and security forces along the coast are compromised--- Several containers of drugs come to this country and they disappear! Nothing happens, and yet the people know who is doing that. Will Parliament stand up to be counted? This gives us a chance, as people's representatives, to stand up and say: \"No more!\" I would like to urge my colleagues to stand up and tell the respective arms of the Government: \"Yes, we know you are trying to do something! Yes, we understand that we are coming from a very difficult history. But what you are doing is not enough! This country is in danger. Our youths are in danger. The stability of Kenya is in danger. The security of this country is in danger!\""
}